Best of physical activity sector revealed as finalists for ukactive Awards

The finalists of the physical activity sector’s most fiercely fought awards have been announced today (2 May) by ukactive.

Spanning the breadth of the sports and physical activity landscape, the finalists of the ukactive Awards represent the year’s leading stars from the public, private and third sectors.

The awards, which have replaced the Flame Awards as the industry’s most prestigious accolades, will take place at Active Uprising in Manchester on the evening of 21 June.

Last year’s Leisure Centre Operator of the Year, Everyone Active, returns to defend its crown with finalists from five centres but will face stiff competition in an expanded award which covers any club or centre – from small independents, studios and boutiques, through to low-cost budget gyms, local authority/leisure trust operated centres, and clubs that are part of a nationwide chain.

Contenders for the Regional and National Club/Centre of the Year range from fellow public operator giants GLL and Places for People Leisure, to budget operator énergie Fitness and boutique operator Tribe HIIT Club in Hove.

The Supplier of the Year Award also showcases a range of finalists, from Love Recruitment to Taylor Made Designs, while the Workplace Wellbeing Programme of the Year brings fascinating new stories to the fore, drawn from finalists including Bentley Motor Cars and Seven Stones. And the New Concept, Build or Design of the Year sees strong cases from the likes of Alliance Leisure, Serco Leisure and 1Life.

The 2018 categories are divided into three award groups: Business Excellence, Specialist Impact and Individual Achievement. With the aforementioned awards making up the Business Excellence group, the Specialist Impact group includes the Kids Award, Healthy Communities Award, Campaign of the Year and Inclusion and Disability Award. And the Individual Achievement group will recognise the Physical Activity Champion of the Year, Outstanding Leader of the Year, Unsung Hero Award and Personality of the Year.

ukactive CEO Steven Ward said: “This year we challenged the industry to demonstrate the role that organisations and individuals are playing in leading an Active Uprising – the name of our showcase event launching in June. We were looking for entries who could demonstrate that they had made substantial progress in the previous 12 months, and were pushing the envelope on what we had seen before.

“Judging by the level of the entries we’ve received for the Awards, it’s fair to say that the bar has truly been raised, with some outstanding examples of business excellence, specialist impact and individual merit.

“Thank you to everyone who entered, I know some will be disappointed not to make the finalist stage of the process but we’d love to see all of you at the awards night in Manchester, which marks the coming together of these stars to make the sector proud.”

For more information or to book your ticket for Active Uprising and the ukactive Awards, click here.

The ukactive Awards finalists:

Regional and National Club/Centre of the Year

énergie Fitness, Kilburn

Places for People Leisure

Tribe HIIT Club – Hove

Inspiring Healthy Lifestyles – Howe, Wigan

Holmer Park

The Shrewsbury Club

Sport Aberdeen

Life Leisure Stockport Sports Village

Bangor Aurora Aquatic and Leisure Complex – Serco Leisure

Oak Tree Leisure Centre, Mansfield – Serco Leisure

KA Leisure

GLL – Kensington Leisure Centre

The Tytherington Club

LED Leisure Management

GLL – Kentish Town

GLL – Olympia, Belfast

Benton Hall Golf and Country Club

Wimbledon Leisure Centre and Spa (Better)

White Horse Leisure and Tennis Centre

W10

Inverclyde Leisure

Workington Leisure Centre – GLL

Actif Sport & Leisure, Carmarthenshire

Rainbow Leisure Centre – GLL

Arcadia Library and Leisure Group – GLL

Everyone Active – Lammas Leisure Centre

Everyone Active – Westway Sports and Fitness Centre

Everyone Active – Silksworth Sports Complex

Everyone Active – Straford Leisure Centre

Everyone Active – Daventry

Supplier of the Year

Escape Fitness

Future Fit Training

Love Recruitment

Play Innovation

Shopworks

STA

Taylor Made Designs

Origin Fitness

New Concept, Build or Design of the Year

Alliance Leisure

énergie Fitness

Places for People Leisure

New Erdington Leisure Centre, Birmingham – Serco Leisure

1Life

GLL/Participation Sport Ltd

Everyone Active – Hart Leisure Centre

Everyone Active – Sapphire Ice and Leisure

Workplace Wellbeing Programme of the Year

Wellworking Ltd

High Five Health Promotion (at 02)

Active Nation

Seven Stones

Bentley Motor Cars

ukactive Kids Award

Northampton Leisure Trust

Active Tameside

Lawn Tennis Association

Kids Run Free

Greenwich Leisure Limited

Children Inspired by Yoga – Tatty Bumpkin Ltd

Everyone Active – Westgate Leisure Centre

Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL) CIC

Healthy Communities

Places for People Leisure

Intelligent Health

Active Tameside

MAN v FAT Football

1Life – Special Olympics

West Ham United Foundation

Everyone Active – Westway Sports and Fitness

Everyone Health – Alive and Kicking

Campaign of the Year

Promote PR

Ordnance Survey

AXA PPP Healthcare

Mind

The Gym Group

Inclusion and Disability Award

Sport for Confidence/Basildon Sporting Village, Everyone Active

Inspiring Healthy Lifestyles

Aspire

Harborough Leisure Centre – Serco Leisure

Active Tameside

Active Nation

White Horse Leisure and Tennis Centre – GLL

Tennis Foundation

Physical Activity Champion

Sandy Motteram

Brett Jenkins

Chelsea Mears-Graham

Annalisa Cellini

Andrea Warner

Louisa Chatwin

Luke Sheppard

Jonathon Woolridge

Outstanding Leader of the Year

Jan Spaticchia

Sue Anstiss MBE

Dr William Bird

Malcolm McPhail

Stuart Martin

Dave Candler

Oliver Stacey

Justin Musgrove

Unsung Hero Award

Julie Barton

Sylvia Parker

Dorothy Markham

Gill Smith

Andy Bowes

Rachel Oakley

Ben Wimbush

Remaining categories Personality of the Year and Outstanding Organisation of the Year will be determined through a separate judging process over the coming weeks.